Deck 20 : Servants of Manwë

To fulfill a scenario a player has to meet all deck building requirements during the whole game, and additionally the winning requirements for a certain scenario at the end of a game. There are 16 wizard scenarios and 6 ringwraith scenarios...

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Fangorn
Ex Council Member
Posts: 362
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:57 pm
Location: Nantes, France

I played this deck at Lure 2020.
So deck wasn't built for the new progressive format, and was previously medium.
I enjoyed as usual playing with this deck, but honestly it should be the less efficient I built so far.

Deck requirements : Saruman cannot be your Wizard.
Winning requirements :
- Gwaihir, Lindion the Oronin and The Great Eagles are in play.
- The Windlord Found Me has been stored.
- A character in a company who has moved with Eagle-mounts to a Ruins and Lairs site has successfully played a Dreams of Lore in the site phase of the same turn.

As a general note, I included a sub-theme with Galadriel, because she's the one who sent Gwaihir to Gandalf.


Character Pool

Starting Company
Celeborn + Elf-stone
Annalena
Dain II
Peath + Star-glass

In deck
Cirdan
Thrain II
Gimli
Arwen

Not in deck
Beorn
Gloin


Wizards Characters

Gandalf (backup Radagast)
Gandalf
Gandalf


Resources

Gwaihir
Lindion the Oronin
Roac the Raven

The Great Eagles
Beornings

The Windlord Found Me
The Windlord Found Me
The Windlord Found Me

Torque of Hues
Durin's Axe
Gold Belt of Lorien

Here, There or Yonder
Here, There or Yonder
Here, There or Yonder

A Short Rest
Mirror of Galadriel

Dark Quarrels
Dark Quarrels
Dark Quarrels
Escape
Escape
Flatter a Foe
Flatter a Foe
Flatter a Foe

Smoke Rings
Smoke Rings
Smoke Rings
Longbottom Leaf
Longbottom Leaf
Longbottom Leaf


Hazards

True Fire-drake
True Fire-drake
True Fire-drake
Nameless Thing
Nameless Thing
Nameless Thing
Bairanax
Morgul-rats
Ent in Search of the Entwives
Ent in Search of the Entwives

Mouth of Sauron
Beorning Skin-changers
Baduila
Smaug at Home

No Way Forward
No Way Forward
No Way Forward
Doors of Night
Doors of Night
Doors of Night
Peril Returned
Peril Returned
Doubled Vigilance
Doubled Vigilance
Doubled Vigilance
Twilight
An Unexpected Outpost
An Unexpected Outpost
An Unexpected Outpost

Revealed to All Watchers


Sideboard

Eagle-mounts
Eagle-mounts
Dreams of Lore
Fifteen Birds in Five Firtrees
Await the Advent of Allies
Fireworks
Galadriel
Phial of Galadriel
Nenya
Three Golden Hairs
Wizard's Ring
Free to Choose
Old Road
Lordly Presence
Marvels Told
Marvels Told
New Friendship
Old Friendship
Praise to Elbereth

Twilight
Out of the Black Sky
Waiting Shadow
Winds of Wrath
Stormcrow
New Moon
Seized by Terror
Short Legs are Slow
Diminish and Depart
Mordor in Arms
Bane of the Ithil-stone


Sites

Eagle's Eyrie => Gwaihir, The Great Eagles, Eagle-mounts
Stone-circle => Lindion the Oronin, Dreams of Lore
Goblin-gate => The Windlord Found Me
Isengard => The Windlord Found Me, Torque of Hues, Durin's Axe
Glittering Caves => Torque of Hues, Durin's Axe
The Wind Throne => Torque of Hues, Durin's Axe, Dreams of Lore
Amon Hen => Dreams of Lore
Beorn's House => Beornings
Lorien => Gold Belt of Lorien, Mirror of Galadriel, Phial of Galadriel, Three Golden Hairs, Wizard's Ring


Play Tips

Reveal first Celeborn, because he's needed for sub-theme Galadriel.
It should be OK because he's not often played, and almost never as first character.
Afterwards play Annalena, her back-up being as usual Arwen ... or Arwen if opponent played first Aragorn !

Celeborn and Annalena are the needed sages to marvel and dream.
Then reveal Dain and Peath, the needed diplomats to flatter and bring allies.
As ranger Peath bears the Star-glass.

With Celeborn controlling Annalena, and Dain controlling Peath, starting company requires only 13 GI !

Wizard is naturally Gandalf, which fits theme the best.
His back-up is Radagast as friend of Eagles, but not the best because as non-sage he can't dream.

Cirdan is a strong back-up if a main character dies, being sage and diplomat.
Otherwise Thrain is a strong back-up sage, and Gimli diplomat who can control Annalena.

Gloin don't remain in deck although having already flown with Eagles.
Beorn don't remain in deck although being a friend of Eagles, being neither sage nor diplomat.


Gandalf should be played quickly, with help of The Windlord Found Me.
It is far easier to play it with Dark Quarrels or Escape, otherwise with Celeborn or Dain.
Flatter Foes like drakes during journey.

If you have no MP in hand (even after mulligan) go to Lorien.
The Mirror of Galadriel should ensure next move.
As soon as you draw Gold Belt of Lorien, activate Galadriel sub-theme.

Some combos are needed in deck, so A Short Rest for example just crossing the Anduin between Beorn's House and Eagles' Eyrie should help.
Deck is very low on MP, so be sure to play most of them, even Beornings and items.
If opponent is playing with Gates of Morning, Fifteen Birds in Five Firtrees is a very cool card before Doors of Night retakes place right after.
Try to play allies with Here, There or Yonder.

Key site is Eagles' Eyrie, because 3 cards must be played there.
There are several ways to solve this problem :
- Gwaihir may be played with Here, There or Yonder, buck luck is needed rolling 8 or more.
- The Great Eagles may be played with Roac and a Lordly Presence.
- The Great Eagles may be played at Lorien with Galadriel, an Old Road and a Lordly Presence.
- Eagle-mounts may be played anywhere with Lindion.
- A character Awaiting the Advent of Allies can keep site in play for Eagle-mounts
- Fireworks from Gandalf to reuse the site
Thus Dreams of Lore played the same turn as Eagle-mounts must be prepared carefully, and at the end of the game if not the last turn.

You can't rely on exhausting deck to reuse the site, because deck is very low at drawing.
Except for the 2 items, only one card is drawn each move.
Smaug at Home counterbalances opponent's drawing during his phase.

When Galadriel enters play, sideboard her theme cards :
- Three Golden Hairs for Dain ... or Gimli !
- Phial of Galadriel for Cirdan
- Nenya to protect her when moving
Remark : if Galadriel's sub-theme doesn't trigger, go to Hermit's Hill to trade your Star-glass (and Elf-stone)

Unless opponent plays with corruption hazard, play Wizard's Ring on Gandalf.
Sideboard afterwards quickly Free to Choose for him.

If opponent plays with Nazgul, don't forget additional effect of Praise to Elbereth with Doors of Night.

Eagles often appears when all hope and light is over, so Doors of Night is the main hazard theme :
- Nasty creatures are roaming, like True Fire-drake, Nameless Thing, the great Bairanax himself or mere Morgul-rats, and even Huorns Waiting in Shadow.
- Orcs are camping everywhere with Doubled Vigilance and Unexpected Outpost.
- New Moon allow a nice combo with Doubled Vigilance ... who ever seen Orcs at Minas Tirith ?
- An opponent's Nazgul is coming Out of the Black Sky
- Winds of Wrath to wreck opponent very far
- Wizards are considerd Stormcrow (counterbalanced by Wizard's Ring)

While freely moving around the upper Anduin Vale, or by flying, opponent faces the roadslow sub-theme.
- No Way Forward at full strength, allowing only move to an adjacent region
- Ent in Search of the Entwives
- Baduila and Beorning Skin-changers
- Short Legs are Slow and Seized by Terror for Hobbits


MP overview (expected / max)

Characters : 11 / 14
Items : 5 / 9
Factions : 3 / 5
Allies : 3 / 4
Miscellanous : 5 / 5
Kill : 0 / 1
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Total : 27 / 38
Hrum, Hoom ! Do not be hasty, that is my motto.
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